Dan Rafael: BWAA

LAS VEGAS -- There will be some star power on hand Thursday night at the 89th annual Boxing Writers Association of America awards banquet at the MGM Grand.

Numerous fighters are expected to be on hand, including two of the biggest names in the sport, who have committed to attending.

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Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. said he will be in attendance to receive his 2013 Sugar Ray Robinson fighter of the year award just two days before he faces Marcos Maidana in a welterweight unification fight.

Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson will also be in attendance. He won’t be receiving an award, but will be presenting the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight of the year award to Timothy Bradley Jr. and Ruslan Provodnikov for their epic battle last March, a fight that then-welterweight titlist Bradley won by close decision after a riveting 12 rounds of action.

“I am looking forward to presenting Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov the 2013 fight of the year award. They gave everything they had in the ring and did themselves proud,” Tyson said. “As a promoter, I encourage all of our guys to give the same effort that these two did. I look forward to the day when a fight from one of our shows wins this award."